Entry for Home Sweet Home Contest
Title: Northern Shores
Characters: Bill and a few originals
Word count: 2825 (inc author's notes)
Pen name: Alylonna
Beta: (if applicable) None *quakes in boots*
Disclaimer: See A/N
Voting
A/N: I don't own Bill. Or Beel. He's all Charlaine's and she's welcome to him lol. I just borrowed him for my own nefarious purposes.
Before any of you ask, yes – people in my town really do speak like this. It took me nearly 3 months living here to understand everyone. I still struggle on the phone sometimes after being here a year and even now if you let me loose at an Orcadian I haven't got a hope in hell of translating for you. In Wick, if someone wants to ask 'why' they'll say 'how' instead. Don't ask me why (or how fnar fnar) because I have no idea. It's a weird Caithnessism.
The Trinkie is a man made pool cut into the rocks on the south shores of Wick harbour. The tide refills and refreshes it twice a day. You have to be nuts to swim in it. We're talking monster brass monkeys and major shrinkage (for guys). No budgie smugglers here.
"Well...I int never seen e likes o yeez before, ye ken at?"
Bill Compton opened his eyes to see a ruddy-faced man peering down at him, a torch lighting the space between them. Somewhere in the distance was the sound of the ocean.
"Where am I?" He asked groggily, wondering how he got to be lying on the ground, soaking wet and intensely uncomfortable.
"Yer in e Trinkie." The man offered with a smile in his face. "Is near Week. I ken is a dump masel bu' ye'll no be gurnin at a hot meal enight wherever e's served." He grinned and bent down, scooping an arm under Bill and hoisting him to his feet.
Bill couldn't understand a word he was saying. He stared blankly at his kind rescuer who was chattering away completely oblivious to the fact that Bill had no idea what was going on.
"Yeez a fair bigun." The man nodded. "Ma faither may have summat ter change ye's gushlin clothes for. Come wi me." He beckoned for Bill to follow and began walking across the rocks, up a pathway cut into the side of the cliff and out into a tiny car park that was really no more than a lay-by.
"Less be getin ye's haim. Hope yer ok wi e dogues?" He bundled the dazed Bill into the passenger seat of his car which, Bill noticed absently, was totally on the wrong side and set off down a winding narrow road. Before long they were entering streets of grey terraced houses, lit dingily in the dirty streetlights. It was probably the most depressing looking town Bill had ever visited and he had travelled all over the world. They travelled through the centre of town in silence, Bill contemplating the darkness outside with ever growing alarm. He couldn't remember how he got here but he was pretty damn sure it wasn't where he was supposed to be.
Crossing a bridge, they passed through the town centre and then climbed out into the far side of town, turning down through side streets until they finally pulled up outside a brightly lit cottage perched on a hillside overlooking the town harbour.
The man got out, gestured for Bill to follow him and then pushed the front door of the house open. Immediately the sound of dogs barking filled the damp night air and before Bill could step aside he was practically bowled over by a pack of lurchers rioting out into the night. The man muttered something about 'e dogues' and helped Bill right himself.
"Mhairi!" He hollered into the house. "E dogues are runnin riot in e street!"
A tiny brunette appeared at the top of the stairs, took in the scene in the hallway below her and sighed. "Ken it was a flare?" She asked and the man nodded.
"Found e poor mannie washed up in e Trinkie. Dinna ken what's wrong wi'im."
"How?" She sounded concerned, peering up at Bill and then back to what Bill could only assume must be her husband.
"He hasnae strung 5 words tegeyer since I found 'im." The man replied gravely. "I'm wonderin' should I take 'im straight til e hospital?"
Now there was a word Bill understood. "Hospital." He repeated slowly and loudly, grinning like a loon, and then he felt like a complete tourist. He would never understand why people assumed speaking slowly and loudly would get their point across to someone who patently didn't understand the language.
"Mebbe banged his heid on e rocks?" Mhairi mused thoughtfully.
Finally Bill got exasperated enough to try again. "Sir, Ma'am, would you be so kind as to lend me the use of a phone?"
They stared at him blankly. "What's he sayin'?" Mhairi asked. "I cannee unnerstand him."
The matter was finally settled when the man made a call to a friend who may be able to help. The couple sat talking to him, chattering merrily away even though they knew he couldn't understand them but the first few minutes of silence had seemed so awkward. Eventually there was a knock on the door and Mhairi got up to answer it. Like a good southern gentleman Bill got to his feet when the lady did and they stared at him. Embarrassed, he nodded politely and waited for her to move. They all stood and looked at each other. There was another knock at the door. Bill sighed and sat down again, manners be damned. He had clearly landed in some far flung barbarian country where they spoke some backwater language and didn't have the faintest clue about manners.
Mhairi returned with a statuesque redhead in tow who had the most amazing eyes Bill had ever seen. He got to his feet again and was so entranced he almost missed the hand she held out to him. He took it and stared at it.
"Well it must be bad if they don't shake hands where you come from." She finally said in an amused tone and Bill could have wept for joy.
"Forgive me." He said instantly, kissing the back of her hand with his most elegant bow. "I was quite overcome by your radiance."
She flushed instantly crimson in the manner of all redheads and Bill's fangs ran out at the sight of that glorious blood so close to the surface. Mortified he forced them back and hoped like hell no-one had noticed.
"Well, uh, thanks I guess." She smiled at him, her blue eyes twinkling. "If I'm not mistaken that's an accent from the deep south of America?"
"Louisiana actually." Bill blinked. "How did you know I spoke English? What language do they speak here? Where am I?"
She tried to hide a smile but failed miserably. "You're in northern Scotland. We speak English here too. Don't worry – took me 2 weeks of living here to understand a word anyone says. It's a somewhat...unique...accent."
Mhairi cleared her throat pointedly and Bill turned to her. "My apologies." He said automatically and stepped aside so this radiant creature could take a seat.
"I am Bill Compton." He introduced himself when they were all seated. "What is your name?"
"Well my first name is Ocean but everyone calls me Summer." She blushed again. "My parents were hippies. This is John and Mhairi." She waited while Bill nodded politely at them and then scooted forward in her seat.
"Mr Compton how did you come to be here?" She asked seriously. "Were you travelling with anyone? John said he thought he saw a distress flare."
"I..." Bill stopped dead. "I have no idea." He finally ended lamely. "I can't remember. The last month is...nothing. There's nothing."
Summer repeated this to John and he sighed, nodding, getting to his feet and pulling his waterproofs back on.
"He's going to go out and check if anyone else washed in." Summer told Bill who frowned, a thought nibbling at the back of his brain.
"One would assume that if I had been flying there would not have been a flare." He articulated carefully. "I must have been in a boat and if I had been sailing for a long time it is not unlikely that I would have had a food source."
Summer stared at him like he'd grown an extra head. "What do you mean food source? I don't think we're going to find a fridge floating around out there."
"I am vampire." He told her seriously, showing the tips of his fangs to prove his point.
"Well fuck." Summer blew out a breath. "That's a right royal clusterfuck if ever I saw one."
"I'm sorry?" Bill's backbone shuddered at a lady using such foul language.
"We don't have vampires here Mr Compton. Too much daylight in the summer months. There's nothing for you to eat."
Oh. Suddenly her language became all too appropriate and Bill sighed. If he had been that damned Viking he'd have gone out hunting but Bill had been trying to mainstream and wouldn't take a human unless he had no choice.
"Well then I must travel to somewhere there is food." He declared and was all ready to go off into the unknown but Summer took his sleeve and sat him down again.
"I don't think you realise quite how far north we are Mr Compton. Edinburgh is more than 5 hours by car from here and it's at least 8 hours to the northernmost English city. I'm afraid you won't make it before dawn."
Fuck. Right royal clusterfuck indeed.
Mhairi said something and Summer started to laugh. "That's an excellent idea Mhairi." She congratulated and then turned to Bill with that twinkle back in her eyes. "She says we should go raid the hospital. They're bound to have blood bags in storage there."
"That is certainly a good idea." Bill set his shoulders and raised his chin. "If you would be so kind as to point me in the direction of the hospital I shall make my way there directly."
"You're not going on your own." Summer grinned. "I've never broken into anywhere before. Do you think I'll need tights to put over my head?"
"Madam we will not be breaking into anywhere." Bill replied stiffly. "I shall ask them nicely and they will hand them over."
"But where's the fun in that?" She looked disappointed but her eyes were full of laughter. "Mr Compton, surely you wouldn't cheat a girl out of exercising her recidivist nature?"
He didn't even crack a smile. "We are not breaking in." He declared firmly. "That is the end of the matter."
"Wow, you've had a serious sense of humour bypass." Summer tutted, shaking her head. "How very miserable your life must be." Without waiting for an answer she got to her feet, crossed the room and hugged Mhairi. "I'll take it from here." She announced. "Just let me know if John finds any more people washed up and I'll come get them too."
"We cannae thank ye enough." Mhairi shrugged. "Would ha bin mighty awkward in e hoos enight."
"No problem." With a dazzling smile Summer turned back to Bill. "Come along Mr Compton. We'll go and find you something warm to wear and then we'll get you fed."
He followed her along the hallway and back out into the cold dreary night. The sky was clouded over without even a hint of moon or stars and a bitter wind was picking up. Summer turned her face to the harbour and took a deep breath of the sea air, grinning at the sight of the waves crashing over the harbour walls. Her hair streamed out from her head as though dancing in the wind, blowing her fragrance to him. It was dark and spicy and somehow all woman.
"May I ask you a personal question?" Bill asked so stiffly she briefly wondered if he had a rod up his backside.
"By all means Mr Compton. Ask away."
"Why did you come here? It is so grey and you are so...vibrant."
"Vibrant huh?" She looked amused. "I came on holiday 5 years ago and never left. The town itself is pretty drab but the rest of the county is beautiful. I pity you not being able to walk in the sunlight and see the glory or Mother Nature in all its shining beauty Mr Compton. This part of the world is really something to behold."
Without further ado she turned and walked up the straight heading further out of town. Luckily it was only a short trek and she opened the door of a brightly lit house before even ten minutes had passed. Warmth spilled out into the street and even though the temperature mattered nothing to Bill he still wrapped the essence of her home around him like a blanket. It smelled like her, like sunshine and exotic climes.
"Please come on in." Stepping aside she ushered him through the door and led him straight upstairs. "I've still got some of my dad's clothes kicking around up here." She pushed into what was clearly a guest room and started rummaging through drawers. Finally she handed him an armful of clothes. "See if any of that fits and then come down. I'll be in the kitchen."
"Thank you ma'am. I am most appreciative."
"It's nothing." She waved her hand dismissively and left him to it.
When he emerged 15 minutes later in a pair of ratty jeans and a threadbare sweater she was just hanging up the phone.
"No-one has reported any vessels missing and John hasn't found anyone else on the rocks so I guess it's just you."
"I do not know if that is a relief or a worry." Bill perched on a high-backed stool at the breakfast bar. "I hope there was no one else with me but it would be terrible to think there was someone still lost out there."
"I'm sure they'll let me in if anyone else washes in on the tide." Summer shrugged entirely unselfconsciously. "Let me just finish my tea and then we'll be off."
Whatever she was drinking it wasn't black tea. Bill savoured the smell, trying to place it, but kept getting distracted by her fragrance. He would be willing to be she tasted incredible. His fangs ran out again, this time with an audible snick, and Summer's gaze shot to him instantly.
"Madam forgive me, I am mortified." Bill covered his mouth with his hands while he willed his teeth to behave. "It must have been a while since last I fed. I do not usually have such lack of self-control."
"Don't worry." There was tension in her every line but she smiled as though it cost her nothing. "We won't be long Mr Compton."
And they weren't. Ten minutes later they were bundled in her tiny car and heading back along the road into town. They took a different route in, down a steep hill and across the harbour, heading back up through the back streets of town. Bill saw signs passing for the hospital and assumed that Summer was ignoring them because she knew a short cut or had somewhere to hide the car whilst they were carrying out their pernicious deeds. He was a little confused when they drove into an abandoned lot, barricaded loosely with railings, but Summer smiled at him trustingly and so he followed her through a hole in the fencing into a wide, dark space.
Something nearby smelled absolutely delicious. That was all the warning Bill got. Before he could even think to move a circle of magic flared around him and suddenly the lot was filled with willowy graceful figures, hair in shining crimsons and blondes, eyes in every shade the ocean could ever be envious of. There was no doubt what they were.
"Fae." He murmured, half in wonder and half in terror.
"Yes, Fae." Summer came to stand among them, her glamour peeling away until she too was one of the shining throng. No wonder her fragrance had been so intoxicating to him. "You picked the wrong shore to wash up on Bill Compton of Louisiana. The Fae have walked these lands for centuries before you were even born. You are not welcome here."
"Then I will leave immediately." He turned to walk back to the road but a silver chain came snaking out of the air and pulled taut around his throat, yanking him to his knees.
"My my...such naiveté. So rare in one so old." Summer tutted. "No Mr Compton. Your journey ends here." She accepted a blade from one of the silent onlookers and stepped up towards him, just out of reach, hefting the long blade to get the feel of it as though it weighed no more than a feather. "You see Mr Compton, God might hate fangs but fairies hate them more."
Thwack.
And so ended the long, long life of a miserable git.
(Cue evil laugh...mwuahahahahahaha)